The British National Party (BNP) is to stand in Kells ward, Whitehaven, after demanding a by-election is run to fill the seat left by the late Joe McAllister. The by-election has been called for the vacant position of county councillor for the ward of Kells and Sandwith. It has been called for Thursday, December 18, and nominations close at noon on Friday, November 21.
The ballot follows the death of Coun McAllister in July. He had been Labour councillor for Kells and Sandwith since 1995.
At that vote, Labour polled 1,367 votes and independent journalist Gordon Brown pipped the Conservatives at the polls with 357 votes compared with 355 polled for Leah Higgins.
Copeland Labour Party vice chairman Alan Alexander said Labour would be vigorously defending the seat. He said: “The BNP are a legally constituted party who often pretend to campaign on local issues whenever they put up candidates. But whenever you discuss issues with them, their true racist views always come to the fore. Having just marked Remembrance Day when we remember those who died fighting fascism, it is an insult to us all that people with the BNP views should be standing politically in our community.”
David Gray, speaking on behalf of the Conservatives, said they “expected to contest the Kells seat”.
Clive Jefferson, Copeland organiser for the BNP, said his party would contest the seat and had started campaigning. He said: “The powers that be didn’t want to have this election, they fully intended to leave the seat vacant until next June, when all the county seats are up for re-election. Well it is not in my nature to allow the complacent establishment – the old boys’ club – to ‘agree’ not to have an election, because it doesn’t suit their winter holiday calendar.”
The Whitehaven News
Showing posts with label Whitehaven. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Whitehaven. Show all posts
November 12, 2008
March 20, 2008
BNP councillor dies
BROUGHTON Moor parish councillor Nigel Williamson has died suddenly at his home at the age of 51 after suffering a heart attack.
Born in Whitehaven in 1957, Mr Williamson was educated at Bransty Junior and Richmond Secondary School.
He joined the Army after leaving school and worked locally before moving to London to further his career.
He married childhood sweetheart Martine and returned to Cumbria, settling in Broughton near Cockermouth.
A member of the British National Party, for whom he was Copeland group secretary, he was last year co-opted on to the parish council. Mr Williamson was an active member of the Association of British Ex-servicemen and also did voluntary work for Age Concern.
Cumbrian BNP members today described him as a “true friend”.
His funeral will be at Distington Hall Crematorium, Distington Hall, Distington, on Thursday, March 27, at 3.30pm, with a wake to follow.
Original Story here
Labels:
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September 21, 2007
Thursday's by-elections - still no breakthrough for BNP
Thursday's crop of local by-election results brought no sign of a revival for the electorally moribund British National Party. In only one ward (Southend Shoeburyness) did they improve over their May vote - by 0.5%, their candidate coming fourth out of five standing, with 13.94%.
Elsewhere where the BNP's by-election vote can be measured against its May outings the trend of BNP stagnation and vote leakage continued.
In Worcester St. Clements their vote dropped from 15.8% to 11.67%, a loss of 4.3%, giving them third place in a field of five. In Birmingham Brandwood the loss was 2.65%, down from an already low 8.85% to 6.2%., putting the BNP third in a field of eight.
Sharon Ebanks's rebel New Nationalist Party also stood in Brandwood, scoring a paltry 25 votes (0.5%) - a fact BNP members are already using to take the focus off their own dismal performance. Ebanks's party has for some time been considered a spent force and this result can only further underline its irrelevance.
In Wigan's West ward the BNP's vote loss was marginal. The lack of a Conservative candidate this time around did not help them and it appears that most Tory voters gave their support to the Liberal Democrats, who did not contest the seat in May. With 264 votes (13.78%) the BNP came a poor third to the LibDems, who took 24.22%.
The BNP broke fresh ground in two other wards, obtaining a better result than it claims it expected in Copeland Harbour (Whitehaven) and a worse than expected result in Nuneaton and Bedworth Abbey.
In Copeland Harbour ward BNP candidate Bill Pugh came third of three with 23.44% of the vote, a surprise to the BNP and anti-fascists alike. The turnout was disappointing with only a third of electors bothering to take part, a fact which may have helped the BNP, which conducted an intensive campaign and pulled out all the stops to get its vote out on polling day.
The BNP's biggest disappointment of the night came in Nuneaton and Bedworth's Abbey ward, contested by serial candidate Alwyn Deacon. The BNP believed it might win the ward and never failed to talk up its prospects, BNP deputy leader Simon Darby writing on his blog that the election would be "close" and that he thought the BNP were "in with a chance".
It wasn't to be. The BNP came second in a field of six, mustering 21.49% to Labour's 37.94% - putting the BNP more than 16% adrift and leaving questions to be asked about the effectiveness of its research and the veracity of its canvass returns. The Liberal Democrat vote collapsed back from nearly 36% to just over 19%, the party's supporters switching to Labour as the perceived scale of the BNP threat became apparent in the last days of the campaign.
We have previously said that the months' long picture of BNP vote stall may be interrupted by the odd nasty surprise and the Copeland Harbour result certainly comes close to being that, but overall the story of electoral stagnation continues. It should be borne in mind that these are isolated by-elections and that the BNP is able to concentrate its supporters and finances into these small areas for intensive campaign work, a luxury that will not be available to the party next May.
Even so, while a comparison of last night's votes with those obtained in May (where possible) certainly indicates that the BNP is as far away from a breakthrough as ever, the results from Copeland Harbour and Nuneaton and Bedworth Abbey wards deserve some attention. There was no danger of the BNP being elected in either of these places, but the party has established a strong base vote in both. Though our feeling is that this is as good as it's going to get for the BNP in these wards and that subsequent elections will see their vote fall back, nothing can be taken for granted.
No matter how the BNP spins last night's results - and they will spin them - electorally the party is clearly at bay. We must be frank and admit that pre-May we quietly shared the BNP's expectation that by now we would be dealing with around 100 BNP councillors and recording a number of local by-election successes. That hasn't happened and on current form seems unlikely to happen any time in the near future, pleasing us as much as it has caused bitter disappointment within the BNP - but this relative good news does not mean that we can afford to take our eye off the ball.
The BNP will be looking for ways to break out of its present electoral impasse and we must remain as vigilant as ever. A single terrorist incident or a misguided statement by a leading politician could put a completely different gloss on the situation.
In no small measure the BNP's retreat into electoral stagnation can be ascribed to the unsung and untiring efforts of those small groups of anti-fascists who take the ugly truth of the BNP to the doorsteps of voters come rain or shine. They deserve our gratitude and support. Thank you, boys and girls. Your success is their failure.
Results (May percentages on right):
Elsewhere where the BNP's by-election vote can be measured against its May outings the trend of BNP stagnation and vote leakage continued.
In Worcester St. Clements their vote dropped from 15.8% to 11.67%, a loss of 4.3%, giving them third place in a field of five. In Birmingham Brandwood the loss was 2.65%, down from an already low 8.85% to 6.2%., putting the BNP third in a field of eight.
Sharon Ebanks's rebel New Nationalist Party also stood in Brandwood, scoring a paltry 25 votes (0.5%) - a fact BNP members are already using to take the focus off their own dismal performance. Ebanks's party has for some time been considered a spent force and this result can only further underline its irrelevance.
In Wigan's West ward the BNP's vote loss was marginal. The lack of a Conservative candidate this time around did not help them and it appears that most Tory voters gave their support to the Liberal Democrats, who did not contest the seat in May. With 264 votes (13.78%) the BNP came a poor third to the LibDems, who took 24.22%.
The BNP broke fresh ground in two other wards, obtaining a better result than it claims it expected in Copeland Harbour (Whitehaven) and a worse than expected result in Nuneaton and Bedworth Abbey.
In Copeland Harbour ward BNP candidate Bill Pugh came third of three with 23.44% of the vote, a surprise to the BNP and anti-fascists alike. The turnout was disappointing with only a third of electors bothering to take part, a fact which may have helped the BNP, which conducted an intensive campaign and pulled out all the stops to get its vote out on polling day.
The BNP's biggest disappointment of the night came in Nuneaton and Bedworth's Abbey ward, contested by serial candidate Alwyn Deacon. The BNP believed it might win the ward and never failed to talk up its prospects, BNP deputy leader Simon Darby writing on his blog that the election would be "close" and that he thought the BNP were "in with a chance".
It wasn't to be. The BNP came second in a field of six, mustering 21.49% to Labour's 37.94% - putting the BNP more than 16% adrift and leaving questions to be asked about the effectiveness of its research and the veracity of its canvass returns. The Liberal Democrat vote collapsed back from nearly 36% to just over 19%, the party's supporters switching to Labour as the perceived scale of the BNP threat became apparent in the last days of the campaign.
We have previously said that the months' long picture of BNP vote stall may be interrupted by the odd nasty surprise and the Copeland Harbour result certainly comes close to being that, but overall the story of electoral stagnation continues. It should be borne in mind that these are isolated by-elections and that the BNP is able to concentrate its supporters and finances into these small areas for intensive campaign work, a luxury that will not be available to the party next May.
Even so, while a comparison of last night's votes with those obtained in May (where possible) certainly indicates that the BNP is as far away from a breakthrough as ever, the results from Copeland Harbour and Nuneaton and Bedworth Abbey wards deserve some attention. There was no danger of the BNP being elected in either of these places, but the party has established a strong base vote in both. Though our feeling is that this is as good as it's going to get for the BNP in these wards and that subsequent elections will see their vote fall back, nothing can be taken for granted.
No matter how the BNP spins last night's results - and they will spin them - electorally the party is clearly at bay. We must be frank and admit that pre-May we quietly shared the BNP's expectation that by now we would be dealing with around 100 BNP councillors and recording a number of local by-election successes. That hasn't happened and on current form seems unlikely to happen any time in the near future, pleasing us as much as it has caused bitter disappointment within the BNP - but this relative good news does not mean that we can afford to take our eye off the ball.
The BNP will be looking for ways to break out of its present electoral impasse and we must remain as vigilant as ever. A single terrorist incident or a misguided statement by a leading politician could put a completely different gloss on the situation.
In no small measure the BNP's retreat into electoral stagnation can be ascribed to the unsung and untiring efforts of those small groups of anti-fascists who take the ugly truth of the BNP to the doorsteps of voters come rain or shine. They deserve our gratitude and support. Thank you, boys and girls. Your success is their failure.
Results (May percentages on right):
| Birmingham Brandwood | |||
| Lab | 1998 | 42.74 | |
| Con | 1663 | 35.57 | |
| LibDem | 285 | 6.10 | |
| BNP | 290 | 6.20 | 8.85 |
| Green | 193 | 4.13 | |
| UKIP | 64 | 1.37 | |
| NNP | 25 | 0.53 | |
| Ind | 157 | 3.36 | |
| Total | 4675 | ||
| Copeland Harbour | |||
| Lab | 463 | 44.31 | |
| Con | 337 | 32.25 | |
| BNP | 245 | 23.44 | |
| Total | 1045 | ||
| Wigan West | |||
| Lab | 837 | 43.68 | |
| LibDem | 464 | 24.22 | |
| BNP | 264 | 13.78 | 13.8 |
| Com Act | 219 | 11.43 | |
| Ind | 72 | 3.76 | |
| Green | 60 | 3.13 | |
| Total | 1916 | ||
| Southend Shoeburyness | |||
| Lab | 460 | 23.48 | |
| Con | 494 | 25.22 | |
| LibDem | 66 | 3.37 | |
| BNP | 273 | 13.94 | 13.41 |
| Ind | 666 | 34.00 | |
| Total | 1959 | ||
| Worcester St. Clements | |||
| Lab | 604 | 42.48 | |
| Con | 478 | 33.61 | |
| BNP | 166 | 11.67 | 15.8 |
| Green | 52 | 3.66 | |
| UKIP | 122 | 8.58 | |
| Total | 1422 | ||
| Nuneaton and Bedworth Abbey | |||
| Lab | 807 | 37.94 | |
| Con | 329 | 15.47 | |
| LibDem | 409 | 19.23 | |
| BNP | 457 | 21.49 | |
| Green | 115 | 5.41 | |
| Ind | 10 | 0.47 | |
| Total | 2127 | ||
September 15, 2007
BNP election bid is an insult to Whitehaven
An MP has hit out at the British National Party’s attempt to get elected in Whitehaven, claiming it is “insulting and damaging the reputation” of the town. Copeland MP Jamie Reed slammed the far right’s efforts to secure the vacant Copeland Borough Council Harbour ward seat.
Last month 44-year-old Bill Pugh, of Melbreak Close, Mirehouse, was named as the party’s candidate in next Thursday’s by-election. Mr Pugh was born and raised in the town and was in the army for 20 years, serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. The father-of-four said he will campaign for a return to weekly refuse collection, is against any plans for a mosque and against pensioners having to sell their homes to pay for care.
But the Labour MP said the BNP campaign was an insult to both the town and the people of Harbour ward. He said: “For the BNP to assume that the people of Harbour ward share their racist views and to calculate that they have a chance of victory there is a grotesque insult. The presence of the BNP in Whitehaven unfairly damages the reputation of the town – but our reputation can be further enhanced by rejecting the BNP extremists at the ballot box. The BNP has flooded the area with campaign workers from all over the county and country because there is such little local support. The BNP cares nothing for Whitehaven or the people of Harbour ward.”
Last month the Rev John Bannister urged voters to “consider carefully and responsibly” which candidate to support. Mr Reed said: “The Rev John Bannister, like right-minded people everywhere, was entirely right to air concerns about the presence of the BNP in Whitehaven and their efforts to be elected to Copeland Borough Council. Most people in Copeland will either know someone or be related to someone who fought against the Nazis during the Second World War. Many people will have lost friends and family in that fight against fascism. For the BNP to fetch fascism to our town is an insult to those who fought, those who suffered and those who lost loved ones during that conflict.”
And Mr Reed believes on polling day people will have the chance to exercise their democratic right and stand up for the values of the town and community by rejecting the BNP. “I urge everyone to use this right, to not be complacent and to take pride in showing the BNP that its brand of prejudice isn’t welcome in Whitehaven.”
Whitehaven Rugby League Club, in partnership with Cumbria Constabulary, recently launched an anti-racism campaign at the match against Castleford. This included a list of the dozens of non-British players who have played for Whitehaven over the years.
Carlisle News and Star
Last month 44-year-old Bill Pugh, of Melbreak Close, Mirehouse, was named as the party’s candidate in next Thursday’s by-election. Mr Pugh was born and raised in the town and was in the army for 20 years, serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. The father-of-four said he will campaign for a return to weekly refuse collection, is against any plans for a mosque and against pensioners having to sell their homes to pay for care.
But the Labour MP said the BNP campaign was an insult to both the town and the people of Harbour ward. He said: “For the BNP to assume that the people of Harbour ward share their racist views and to calculate that they have a chance of victory there is a grotesque insult. The presence of the BNP in Whitehaven unfairly damages the reputation of the town – but our reputation can be further enhanced by rejecting the BNP extremists at the ballot box. The BNP has flooded the area with campaign workers from all over the county and country because there is such little local support. The BNP cares nothing for Whitehaven or the people of Harbour ward.”
Last month the Rev John Bannister urged voters to “consider carefully and responsibly” which candidate to support. Mr Reed said: “The Rev John Bannister, like right-minded people everywhere, was entirely right to air concerns about the presence of the BNP in Whitehaven and their efforts to be elected to Copeland Borough Council. Most people in Copeland will either know someone or be related to someone who fought against the Nazis during the Second World War. Many people will have lost friends and family in that fight against fascism. For the BNP to fetch fascism to our town is an insult to those who fought, those who suffered and those who lost loved ones during that conflict.”
And Mr Reed believes on polling day people will have the chance to exercise their democratic right and stand up for the values of the town and community by rejecting the BNP. “I urge everyone to use this right, to not be complacent and to take pride in showing the BNP that its brand of prejudice isn’t welcome in Whitehaven.”
Whitehaven Rugby League Club, in partnership with Cumbria Constabulary, recently launched an anti-racism campaign at the match against Castleford. This included a list of the dozens of non-British players who have played for Whitehaven over the years.
Carlisle News and Star
Labels:
Bill Pugh,
BNP,
Copeland,
fascism,
Jamie Reed,
nazi,
Rev John Bannister,
Whitehaven
September 06, 2007
BNP official arrested during campaign
Whitehaven police arrested a BNP official in King Street on Saturday.
The Copeland organiser for the BNP, Clive Jefferson, had been giving out BNP literature to town shoppers as part of the by-election campaign for the Copeland Council Harbour ward poll later this month.
Mr Jefferson was arrested after a member of the public alleged he had been threatening or abusive.
Police press spokesman Ben Meller confirmed to The News that: “A 40-year-old man from Cockermouth was arrested for an alleged Section 4 public order offence. There had been reports the BNP had set up a stall in King Street. We saw copies of the literature and it was not regarded as being of a racist or hate crime nature. However there was a complaint from a member of the public of that he had been threatened or abused by a person at the stall.”
He said the arrested man was released without charge but will have to return to Workington police station to answer bail on September 21.
Mr Jefferson later said: “The complainant was not a passive member of the public, he was aggressive and accused us of being fascists.”
Whitehaven News
The Copeland organiser for the BNP, Clive Jefferson, had been giving out BNP literature to town shoppers as part of the by-election campaign for the Copeland Council Harbour ward poll later this month.
Mr Jefferson was arrested after a member of the public alleged he had been threatening or abusive.
Police press spokesman Ben Meller confirmed to The News that: “A 40-year-old man from Cockermouth was arrested for an alleged Section 4 public order offence. There had been reports the BNP had set up a stall in King Street. We saw copies of the literature and it was not regarded as being of a racist or hate crime nature. However there was a complaint from a member of the public of that he had been threatened or abused by a person at the stall.”
He said the arrested man was released without charge but will have to return to Workington police station to answer bail on September 21.
Mr Jefferson later said: “The complainant was not a passive member of the public, he was aggressive and accused us of being fascists.”
Whitehaven News
Labels:
ban the BNP,
by-election,
Clive Jefferson,
Copeland Council,
Harbour,
Whitehaven
August 30, 2007
Rector hits out at BNP campaign
Whitehaven church leader John Bannister has spoken out against the British National Party, which is fielding a candidate in a Copeland Council by-election next month. The Rector of Whitehaven, has urged the electorate of Harbour Ward to “consider carefully and responsibly’’ how they vote.
But the BNP says it has had “a fantastic response’’ in Copeland and thinks the church should “keep out of politics’’. The party unveiled its candidate this week, Bill Pugh, of Melbreak Close, Mirehouse, who was born and raised in the town and was in the Army for 20 years, serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. Since leaving the army he has worked as a driving instructor.
Mr Pugh, 44, a father-of-four with two grandchildren, says he will campaign for a return to weekly refuse collection, is against any plans for a mosque and against pensioners having to sell their homes to pay for care.
As we reported last week, the Labour candidate is Jeanette Williams, 66, of Main Street, Distington, and Brigid Whiteside, 46, of Whitehaven, will stand for the Conservatives.
The deadline for nominations closed at noon on Tuesday. The BNP invoked electoral law to call for a speedy by-election for the vacant seat.
A meeting due to be held by the BNP last night (Wed) at the Crown and Anchor pub in Mirehouse was called off at the 11th hour after pub licensee Lawrence Smith decided to cancel the use of his pub as a venue for the BNP meeting. He told The Whitehaven News: “I heard there was to be some form of protest so decided it would be wisest to cancel the meeting. I had been told it was about the Harbour ward election."
Paul Jenkins, of the South Cumbria Unite Against Fascism organisation, had been lobbying to get the meeting stopped, and if it went ahead had intended to lead protestors outside the pub carrying placards saying “Use Your Vote, Stop The BNP”. He wants to see the town set up a Whitehaven Against Fascism group, similar to those in Carlisle and Maryport.
The Rev John Bannister feels the presence of the BNP in the town “can only produce a destructive impact upon the town’s community life”. He said: “The strengths of the community of Whitehaven and West Cumbria have developed from experiences and values which are totally opposed to those of the BNP. The community of Whitehaven should be aware of the extreme and racist nature of the BNP and their policies. Also, research has shown that, once elected, BNP candidates have failed dismally to serve their electors by failing to fulfil their duties to the communities which have elected them.’’
But Clive Jefferson, BNP organiser, said yesterday: “Allegations of racism are nonsense, that is just scaremongering. I believe the church and state separated a long time ago and it should stay that way and they should keep out of politics.’’
He maintained that Mr Pugh would be an active and committed councillor for the ward.
Mr Bannister said that, while he acknowledges the legal right of the BNP to compete in any process of democratic elections, he is concerned that its campaign information “fails to make clear to the electorate the exact nature of their policies and ideologies”.
“For the sake of all that is good about our community life and for the safekeeping of the future of our young people, I urge the electors of Harbour Ward to consider carefully and responsibly their response to this attempt by the BNP to infiltrate our community with their destructive politics,’’ he said.
Mr Jefferson added: “For the vicar to come out and speak against us when there are so many horrendous things going on in the world to demand his attention...
“We have had a fantastic response in Copeland. Every single person we have seen is extremely interested and very open to the BNP because we are just telling the truth and speaking out plainly about the problems that no one else is speaking against.
“I don’t think I have ever come across a council so disliked as Copeland.’’
This is a second local campaign for Brigid Whiteside, of Foxhouses Road, Whitehaven, the wife of Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Chris Whiteside. She stood at the last Copeland Council elections in May. The chairman of Copeland Conservatives, Coun Yvonne Clarkson, said Mrs Whiteside had a very good understanding of the problems and issues facing the area.
Meanwhile college lecturer Jeanette Williams will be hoping to retain the seat for Labour and join the other two Labour councillors who represent Harbour Ward, Henry Wormstrup and John Kane.
Ms Williams has lived in the area since 1988, moving from Liverpool. She formerly worked in a supermarket before undertaking a degree course at the Carlisle campus of the University of Northumbria in 1995, gaining a teaching qualification.
Copeland elections manager Alan Southward said: “If anyone in Harbour ward has difficulty getting to the poll we can provide a postal vote as long as they contact my office before Thursday, September 6, by telephoning 01946 598531.”
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on September 20.
Whitehaven News
But the BNP says it has had “a fantastic response’’ in Copeland and thinks the church should “keep out of politics’’. The party unveiled its candidate this week, Bill Pugh, of Melbreak Close, Mirehouse, who was born and raised in the town and was in the Army for 20 years, serving in Northern Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore. Since leaving the army he has worked as a driving instructor.
Mr Pugh, 44, a father-of-four with two grandchildren, says he will campaign for a return to weekly refuse collection, is against any plans for a mosque and against pensioners having to sell their homes to pay for care.
As we reported last week, the Labour candidate is Jeanette Williams, 66, of Main Street, Distington, and Brigid Whiteside, 46, of Whitehaven, will stand for the Conservatives.
The deadline for nominations closed at noon on Tuesday. The BNP invoked electoral law to call for a speedy by-election for the vacant seat.
A meeting due to be held by the BNP last night (Wed) at the Crown and Anchor pub in Mirehouse was called off at the 11th hour after pub licensee Lawrence Smith decided to cancel the use of his pub as a venue for the BNP meeting. He told The Whitehaven News: “I heard there was to be some form of protest so decided it would be wisest to cancel the meeting. I had been told it was about the Harbour ward election."
Paul Jenkins, of the South Cumbria Unite Against Fascism organisation, had been lobbying to get the meeting stopped, and if it went ahead had intended to lead protestors outside the pub carrying placards saying “Use Your Vote, Stop The BNP”. He wants to see the town set up a Whitehaven Against Fascism group, similar to those in Carlisle and Maryport.
The Rev John Bannister feels the presence of the BNP in the town “can only produce a destructive impact upon the town’s community life”. He said: “The strengths of the community of Whitehaven and West Cumbria have developed from experiences and values which are totally opposed to those of the BNP. The community of Whitehaven should be aware of the extreme and racist nature of the BNP and their policies. Also, research has shown that, once elected, BNP candidates have failed dismally to serve their electors by failing to fulfil their duties to the communities which have elected them.’’
But Clive Jefferson, BNP organiser, said yesterday: “Allegations of racism are nonsense, that is just scaremongering. I believe the church and state separated a long time ago and it should stay that way and they should keep out of politics.’’
He maintained that Mr Pugh would be an active and committed councillor for the ward.
Mr Bannister said that, while he acknowledges the legal right of the BNP to compete in any process of democratic elections, he is concerned that its campaign information “fails to make clear to the electorate the exact nature of their policies and ideologies”.
“For the sake of all that is good about our community life and for the safekeeping of the future of our young people, I urge the electors of Harbour Ward to consider carefully and responsibly their response to this attempt by the BNP to infiltrate our community with their destructive politics,’’ he said.
Mr Jefferson added: “For the vicar to come out and speak against us when there are so many horrendous things going on in the world to demand his attention...
“We have had a fantastic response in Copeland. Every single person we have seen is extremely interested and very open to the BNP because we are just telling the truth and speaking out plainly about the problems that no one else is speaking against.
“I don’t think I have ever come across a council so disliked as Copeland.’’
This is a second local campaign for Brigid Whiteside, of Foxhouses Road, Whitehaven, the wife of Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Chris Whiteside. She stood at the last Copeland Council elections in May. The chairman of Copeland Conservatives, Coun Yvonne Clarkson, said Mrs Whiteside had a very good understanding of the problems and issues facing the area.
Meanwhile college lecturer Jeanette Williams will be hoping to retain the seat for Labour and join the other two Labour councillors who represent Harbour Ward, Henry Wormstrup and John Kane.
Ms Williams has lived in the area since 1988, moving from Liverpool. She formerly worked in a supermarket before undertaking a degree course at the Carlisle campus of the University of Northumbria in 1995, gaining a teaching qualification.
Copeland elections manager Alan Southward said: “If anyone in Harbour ward has difficulty getting to the poll we can provide a postal vote as long as they contact my office before Thursday, September 6, by telephoning 01946 598531.”
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on September 20.
Whitehaven News
Labels:
Bill Pugh,
BNP,
Copeland Council,
Whitehaven
August 18, 2007
BNP push for Copeland council by-election
The British National Party (BNP) has invoked electoral law to call for a speedy by-election for the vacant seat on Whitehaven’s Harbour Ward.
The Copeland seat, one of three representing the ward arose in July after Copeland’s councilllor, Anne Bradshaw, 53, resigned. Harbour ward, is also represented by Coun Henry Wormstrup and Coun John Kane.
Last night Copeland Council had a request from two Whitehaven electors asking for a by-election. The BNP then issued a statement through local organiser Clive Jefferson from Cockermouth saying they would be fielding a Whitehaven man as their candidate in the by-election. Copeland council confirmed that the by-election will be held on Thursday, September 20 and that nominations for candidates closes at noon on August 28.
Labour party chairman for Copeland, Coun John Woolley confirmed today that college lecturer, Jeanette Williams, from Distington, would be Labour’s candidate for the poll.
The Conservatives have adopted Brigid Whiteside, wife of their Prospective Parliamentary candidate Chris Whiteside, as their candidate for the Harbour ward.
Whitehaven News
The Copeland seat, one of three representing the ward arose in July after Copeland’s councilllor, Anne Bradshaw, 53, resigned. Harbour ward, is also represented by Coun Henry Wormstrup and Coun John Kane.
Last night Copeland Council had a request from two Whitehaven electors asking for a by-election. The BNP then issued a statement through local organiser Clive Jefferson from Cockermouth saying they would be fielding a Whitehaven man as their candidate in the by-election. Copeland council confirmed that the by-election will be held on Thursday, September 20 and that nominations for candidates closes at noon on August 28.
Labour party chairman for Copeland, Coun John Woolley confirmed today that college lecturer, Jeanette Williams, from Distington, would be Labour’s candidate for the poll.
The Conservatives have adopted Brigid Whiteside, wife of their Prospective Parliamentary candidate Chris Whiteside, as their candidate for the Harbour ward.
Whitehaven News
Labels:
BNP,
Copeland,
Harbour,
Whitehaven
April 05, 2007
BNP not standing at Copeland in May elections
The British National Party will NOT be standing any candidates in the Copeland elections after unsuccessfully trying to find someone to represent them.
After the row over a potential mosque or Muslim community centre last year the party held a public meeting in Whitehaven after which it proclaimed that it would be standing candidates in "as many seats as possible." But despite claiming to have a growing support in the borough the BNP have not been able to find a single candidate to fight on any of the 51 wards.
Cumbria's BNP leader Paul Stafford, from Wigton, refused to put a figure on the "growing number" of followers.
He said: "It is party policy not to discuss or divulge the number of members and supporters we have in any particular area. All I will say is that we are very well represented in Copeland and we will be able to fight future elections, but most of our members are new and didn't feel ready to stand just yet."
Alistair Norwood, the Conservative who represents Hillcrest and who will be standing again in May, spoke out in favour of a Muslim community centre and his ward was then subjected to a leaflet drop by the BNP, who said that his seat was the one they were keenest to contest.
Mr Norwood said: "I have mixed feelings about the BNP not standing to be honest. I am delighted that the community won't be subjected to the racist paraphernalia that they push through people's doors but at the same time I have missed out on the opportunity to beat them and send a message that their racist bigotry won't be tolerated in Copeland."
Copeland Borough Council leader Elaine Woodburn said: "To stand in the election you need to get 10 people to sign your form, and I think it speaks volumes that after being so vocal the BNP has had to back down and retreat. I really don't think that creed or colour are important on the agendas of the people of Copeland. We are a community that embraces people, whatever their backgrounds. The one group of people we don't embrace, however, is the BNP."
The Whitehaven News
After the row over a potential mosque or Muslim community centre last year the party held a public meeting in Whitehaven after which it proclaimed that it would be standing candidates in "as many seats as possible." But despite claiming to have a growing support in the borough the BNP have not been able to find a single candidate to fight on any of the 51 wards.
Cumbria's BNP leader Paul Stafford, from Wigton, refused to put a figure on the "growing number" of followers.
He said: "It is party policy not to discuss or divulge the number of members and supporters we have in any particular area. All I will say is that we are very well represented in Copeland and we will be able to fight future elections, but most of our members are new and didn't feel ready to stand just yet."
Alistair Norwood, the Conservative who represents Hillcrest and who will be standing again in May, spoke out in favour of a Muslim community centre and his ward was then subjected to a leaflet drop by the BNP, who said that his seat was the one they were keenest to contest.
Mr Norwood said: "I have mixed feelings about the BNP not standing to be honest. I am delighted that the community won't be subjected to the racist paraphernalia that they push through people's doors but at the same time I have missed out on the opportunity to beat them and send a message that their racist bigotry won't be tolerated in Copeland."
Copeland Borough Council leader Elaine Woodburn said: "To stand in the election you need to get 10 people to sign your form, and I think it speaks volumes that after being so vocal the BNP has had to back down and retreat. I really don't think that creed or colour are important on the agendas of the people of Copeland. We are a community that embraces people, whatever their backgrounds. The one group of people we don't embrace, however, is the BNP."
The Whitehaven News
Labels:
BNP,
British National Party,
mosque,
Muslim,
racist,
Whitehaven
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